BMW's new flagship has been shown in camouflage; it's due to go on UK sale in November
BMW is bidding to create an 8 Series that's more enjoyable to drive than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupé and Bentley Continental GT, so it has moved testing for its upcoming two-door to the technical B-roads of Wales.
Ahead of its reveal at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 15 June, the car's dynamics are being evaluated and finalised on some of the world's finest stretches of tarmac, with the brief for engineers to produce a mix of "fascinating sportiness and supreme comfort".
BMW has therefore provided its new car with a host of driver-focused hardware and software, including adaptive damping and a dynamic stability control setting that allows for more playfulness while still retaining a 'safety net'.
Markus Flasch, BMW 8 Series project manager, said “Whether a driver expresses his or her wishes with regard to comfort and sportiness using the accelerator pedal or by pressing a button, the vehicle immediately adapts perfectly to each setting.”
Autocar has already driven a prototype for the two-door coupé, an M850i xDrive, which demonstrated the potential BMW's two-door has on technical roads. But the final settings won't be defined until closer to the car's November on-sale date.
s technically related to the 7 Series saloon. It will essentially be a two-door coupé version of that car, much in the same way that the 4 Series and 3 Series are related.
Being so closely related to the 7 Series, the 8 Series will share naming conventions and engines with its saloon sibling. This means that an iPerformance-badged plug-in hybrid will feature in the range, while the entry-level 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel found in the 730d will be used in an 830d.
The 8 Series line-up will also include the more performance-oriented 4.4-litre V8 in the 750i xDrive, accompanied by all-wheel drive and 523bhp.
Christian Billig, head of drive system integration at BMW, said “Above all, the eight-cylinder harmonises perfectly with the further developed Steptronic transmission during dynamic acceleration. At the same time, the sound development of the sports exhaust system authentically reflects the car’s power delivery."
V12-engined model will come later in the 8 Series’ life cycle, although the most hardcore variant of the 8 Series will come be the M8, which will make use of the lighter V8 but in uprated form. It's likely to be near identical to the powerplant of the latest M5. That car has a 592bhp 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine; it will share the same M xDrive four-wheel drive system with the M8.
Inside, 8 Series models will feature the same top-end technologies found in the 7 Series, including the latest and next-generation semi-autonomous functions.
The 8 Series has been part of one of the largest build-ups in recent automotive history. Prior to the production car, three concept cars were shown. The first, the 8 Series concept, previewed the standard car, while the M8 Gran Coupé concept demonstrated the thinking behind a high-performance version.
A racing concept was also created; it's been following by the M8 GTE, which is competing in this year's World Endurance Championship, of which Le Mans is the most illustrious round.
As part of BMW's range shake-up, the 8 Series coupé will indirectly replace the 6 Series coupé, which will end production this year, while the 6 Series convertible will then be indirectly replaced by the 8 Series convertible next year.
The final 6 Series variant, the Gran Coupé, is likely to be superseded by an 8 Series Gran Coupé. These model shifts were first set in motion when the 5 Series GT replaced the 6 Series GT.
Additional reporting by Greg Kable and Jimi Beckwith
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